Selwyn Times: January 29, 2020

SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday January 29 2020 23
Five top family
pets
Unique Country
Environment
The simple but profound
truth that inspired Maria
Montessori’s lifelong pursuit
of educational reform was that
children teach themselves.
At Burnham Country Montessori
teachers help to cultivate each
child’s natural love of learning and
inquisitiveness, facilitating children in
developing a complete personality
which allows them to become
independent learners.
When children fully engage with their
learning the experiences become
more memorable, helping lay down
the foundations for school life ahead.
At Burnham Country Montessori,
children have enriching encounters
in an extremely unique and spacious
country setting. The children learn
about the world around them, enjoying
country walks and connecting and
caring for animals; feeding lambs,
chickens and pigs.
The large open and well-resourced
playgrounds at Burnham Country
Montessori have native plantings,
vegetable and flower gardens, and
large decked areas for the children
and their family/whānau to enjoy.
Bright, fun and well-resourced
classrooms offer the opportunity for
structure that supports focussed
educational, emotional, and physical
development. Burnham Country
Montessori is celebrating its 11-year
anniversary this April. They are located
just a short distance from Rolleston,
Burnham Military Camp and Lincoln.
Their open door policy means you
can feel comfortable calling by to
see this inspiring preschool. You can
also check out their website at: www.
burnham-montessori.co.nz
Pets can help children develop
emotions such as caring and
empathy, says Dr Hugh Wirth,
author of Living with Cats and
Living with Dogs. Pets also
offer the benefit of teaching
children how to care for their
pets.
“The greatest lesson from pet keeping
is that animals are much like us,”
he says. “They respond to our care,
require food, water and shelter and
also need regular grooming and clean
living conditions.” He adds, ‘A pet
needs gentle handling, as an animal
can feel pain as we do, and acts
adversely to those who accidentally or
knowingly inflict pain – biting, kicking
or crying.”
1. Small dogs
While many dog lovers and vets
advise buying a labrador as a family
pet, Dr Wirth advises choosing a
smaller breed for your first dog. He
says big dogs and aren’t easy for
children to learn handling techniques
or grooming. “For the first ‘learning
dog’ he suggests one of the crossbred
types like a fluffy Maltese or shih-tzu.
He adds that a breed of terrier would
also suit a family with children over the
age of five.
2. Cats
If you lack space for a dog, a feline
friend is a great second option,
particularly for apartment dwellers.
Dr Wirth adds that they’re also lowmaintenance
animals – meaning less
work for mum and dad. “Cats make
excellent pets,” he says. “They’re selfsufficient,
clean and highly adaptable
to living conditions”. Dr Wirth also
advises choosing a kitten over a fully
grown cat for littlies to bond with.
3. Rabbits
Rabbits are better suited to older
children. “Rabbits make great first pets
but they certainly are not as tough as
a cat or dog,” says Dr Wirth. “They’re
easily damaged by rough handling, so
always choose a small breed for young
children, so they don’t accidentally
drop them.” He adds that rabbits must
be confined to a hutch at night and
in inclement weather, so there has to
be a commitment to clean the hutch
daily.”
4. Guinea pigs
If you’re unsure whether your little one
can handle a rabbit, go for a guinea pig
instead. “Guinea pigs are very hardy
pets and are much easier to handle
than rabbits,” says Dr Wirth. “They need
to be kept in a hutch and can be kept
together with rabbits.”
5. Goldfish
“Fish are also good starter pets, but
the cold water varieties of goldfish are
easier to maintain than tropical breeds,”
advises Dr Wirth, adding that filtering
and cleaning the water regularly is an
on-going task. He adds that while kids
will love to feed their fish, be careful to
teach them that too many flakes will
harm their pet. “Overfeeding causes
pollution of the water,” he confirms.
To read the full article and other
parenting articles , visit www.kidspot.
co.nz
Montessori & Early
Childhood Preschool
• We offer a friendly, fun and
supportive environment – only 5
minutes from Rolleston.
• We believe that Tamariki thrive in
a peaceful, structured and caring
environment, full of fun
and challenges.
• We offer focused, balanced curriculums
that prepare Tamariki for the next step in
their learning journey.
• We value diversity within our Tamariki
and their whānau and this is reflected in
our whānau focused philosophy.
• We have 3 well resourced classrooms,
caring for Tamariki from 6 weeks to
6 years of age. We are proud of our
large, natural playgrounds that offer
challenges for all ages.
Call in to visit us today, meet the teachers and have a look around our school
Taking enrolments now for 2020
LimiTed
spaCes
avaiLabLe
in our
nursery!
visit us at 643 burnham school road
For enrolments please contact Jasmine or Kylie on 347-6161
download forms from www.burnham-montessori.co.nz